Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Thoughts on Idle-ness

There ARE things to be said for idle-ness - relaxation, checking back in with oneself, accomplishing those tasks that have been missed out of busy-ness, etc. However, there is an extent to which idle-ness is productive. Beyond that extent, it is just plain frustrating.

I have never been one for much free time (or sleep, really), so it is not surprising to those who know me well that I am beginning to get frustrated with the amount of time I have. However, it is not so much the amount as how I have been using it, as I have recently identified within my mind.

I look upon myself as someone who needs an amount of time dedicated to helping others, even if it is just serving them food or a cup of coffee. As of late (aka being in Calgary), almost all of my experiences have been self-centric - dance classes, reading up on my interests, writing. These are all fine and good (great actually), but there is only so much I can do of each in my 'free time.' Instead of letting this sinking feeling set in as boredom, I have decided to re-evaluate, and have come to the fact that I could be using this afternoon time I have every day at an internship that I have always wanted to have, but have either needed the time to get paid or to do dance-related things. Now, with a heavy load of dance-related things going on and an inability to get paid, it seems to be the perfect time to take advantage of such opportunities. Today, I sent inquires to FFWD (like Citypages) about doing dance reviews, and to Alberta Human Rights Commission, Calgary Slow Food, Calgary Square Dance Club, Ashuna (community organizing org), and several other orgs around here about volunteering. I offered up my 1-5 daily, hoping that someone will bite and I can feel better about my time while simultaneously cultivating an interest.